16 June 2010

BEST OF 1966:
Otis Redding "Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul" (1966)

Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul
release date: Oct. 15, 1966
format: cd
[album rate: 5 / 5]

Tracklist: 1. "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)" (5 / 5) - 2. "I'm Sick Y'All" - 3. "Tennessee Waltz" - 4. "Sweet Lorene" - 5. "Try a Little Tenderness" (5 / 5) - 6. "Day Tripper" - 7. "My Lover's Prayer" - 8. "She Put the Hurt on Me" - 9. "Ton of Joy" - 10. "You're Still My Baby" - 11. "Hawg for You" - 12. "Love Have Mercy"

5th studio album by Otis Redding. This was to be his last studio album release before his untimely death (Dec. 10, 1967) at the age of 26, and the second studio album in '66. This is his studio album with the highest percentage of his own songs (tracks #1, #2, #4, #7, #8, #9, #11), and the album is like his '65 album, enlisted on several 'All times best albums'.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5 stars ]

1966 Favourite releases: 1. Otis Redding Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul - 2. Dexter Gordon Gettin' Around' - 3. Astrud Gilberto Look to the Rainbow

14 June 2010

Jacques Brel "La valse à mille temps" (1959)

La valse à mille temps
release date: 1959
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]

Track highlights: 1. "La valse à mille temps" (5 / 5) live - 4. "Je t'aime" - 5. "Ne me quitte pas" (4 / 5) - 6. "Les flamandes" (4 / 5) - 10. "La colombe"

4th full-length studio album by Jacques Brel aka "Jacques Brel 4". Like many of his early albums this release is just a self-titled album but is also known as "La valse à mille temps" (taken from the first track). I also enjoy his three earlier albums from the '50s but this particular album is considered one of his best ever original releases, and his first big hit album. It's his second release featuring the great French conductor François Rauber with whom Brel wrote two of the original 10 songs, although, the album's strongest tracks are written by Brel only.